Madi* is a 20-year-old woman who graduated from a boarding school, to which she was placed under the Youth Law. She is currently living in Beersheba with her partner and she is 34 weeks pregnant. Due to past trauma it’s difficult for her to work and to support herself. Madi contacted Makom Balev for assistance in exercising rights with the National Insurance Institute. She met twice with a psychiatrist on our behalf, Dr. Shiri Granot, and wrote a letter for her for social security.

Madi is the sixth of eleven brothers and sisters and she describes her childhood as traumatic, since she was subjected to severe violence by her parents and siblings. She shared the fact that she had suffered severe sexual abuse when she was a child and did not receive treatment to deal with the trauma. At the age of 12, with the intervention of welfare agencies, she was issued under a court order to the "Child's Fund" boarding school, where she lived there until she was 17. In light of her request from the court, she returned to the community under a supervision order and was referred to the "Hila" project, where she was unable to integrate. When she reached the age of 18, she enlisted in the IDF, but struggled to adapt to the framework and went to a military prison. During her time in prison she developed anxiety, depression and suicidal thoughts. Due to the difficulties of adapting and her poor mental health, she was discharged from service on the recommendation of a psychiatrist. After her release, she did not continue psychiatric monitoring and did not take medication. Madi said that after military service she experienced a violent relationship and found it very difficult to end it. At the end of the relationship, she chose to move to Beersheba. The young woman says that even after they separated, the former spouse would come to her in Beersheba and forcibly have sex with her for a period of time. It should be noted that in the past year, her mental state has worsened, describing dysfunction and experiencing distrust of those around her. As a result of this, and due to her need to access Social Security, she turned to Makom Balev centre for treatment and psychiatric monitoring. Today, Madi lives in Beersheba with her new partner. She says that the couple's relationship is beneficial for her and that pregnancy is desirable. 

Madi has been a member of WIZO’s "Lev" program since December 2020. She is working hard and cooperating with the framework. Madi chose not to work with an individual social worker, out of mistrust related to her childhood experiences. She says she is afraid to trust a therapeutic and authority figure. At the same time, she conducts a continuous and in-depth relationship with a guide on behalf of the centre. It took a long time for Madi to open up and to make a connection with the staff of the facility. 

Throughout the year, she shared that she was struggling and afraid to go out unaccompanied by her partner. Despite her fears, Madi chose to integrate into the employment space operated in the centre she participated and took the course seriously, so she  managed to mobilise forces and also reach the centre alone when her partner could not drive her. Thus, she successfully completed a makeup and nail gel course. Nowadays she is in a healthy working relationship with another young woman she met in the course, who she assists and supports. Madi has all along been pushing for social security assistance, she came to meetings with the psychiatrist, despite the difficulties of opening up, she spoke deeply about her condition. 

In conclusion, Madi is a young woman with charm and powers who copes with a survivalist lifestyle, difficulties in the family and personal framework. This is a young woman who has experienced a traumatic and difficult childhood who does everything in her power to go through a rehabilitation process and build her life. As a result, the lack of family home front and the need for inclusive psychosocial intervention are evident. Despite her fears, Madi managed to establish a stable, in-depth and meaningful relationship with our framework and even completed vocational training. She demonstrated a high desire and motivation to undergo treatment and rehabilitation processes. To our impression, there is a fundamental and urgent need to recognise her mental disability and receive a basket of rehabilitation services.